GAME NOTES:     Jackson State             South Carolina State
ATLANTA, Ga. | Jackson State and South Carolina State will meet for the second time in the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 14, inside Mercedes Benz Stadium, kicking off at noon (ET) on ABC.

The two teams met in 2021 with South Carolina State winning 31-10, the first Celebration Bowl for either team, and they met again in Atlanta at the 2023 MEAC/SWAC Challenge with the Tigers winning 37-7. The two teams have met six times and have split the meetings.

No. 18 South Carolina State (9-2) enters the game on an eight-game winning streak after capturing the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC) crown outright defeating Norfolk State 53-21 in Orangeburg win the schools 19^th league crown in school history.

No. 15 Jackson State (11-2) enters the game on a nine-game winning streak including a 41-13 victory over Southern in the SWAC Championship Game last weekend.

The Bulldog offense is led by HBCU+ National Player of the Year and MEAC Offense Player of the Year Eric Phoenix. The Savannah, Georgia, native ranks first in passing efficiency (164.2), fourth in passing yards (2,460) and third in touchdown passes (20) among HBCU FCS quarterbacks, while also rushing for 225 yards and two touchdowns. The first-team All-MEAC signal caller helped lift South Carolina State from 5-6 last year to a 9-2 record this season – the Bulldogs' highest win total since 2013.

Meanwhile, on defense, All-MEAC linebacker Aaron Smith who leads the team in tackles with 78.0 tackles (41 solo), 7.5-19-yards for tackles for loss, while Ashaad Hall leads the nation in sacks with 11.0 for 56-yards and 14.0 tackles for loss for 82-yards. All-MEAC defensive back Diego Addison leads the secondary with 44.0 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups.

On special team's senior punter Dyson Roberts is leading the way with 44 punts for 1,847-yards with an average of 41.98 yards per punt with a long of 72-yards, five touchbacks, eight fair catches, 14 inside 20 and seven over 50+ yards.

Game Info - #15 Jackson State vs. #18 South Carolina State
Saturday, Dec. 14 | noon (ET) | Mercedes Benz Stadium
Watch Live (ABC)
Listen Live
Live Stats

Series (since 1956)
Series tied 3-3
First meeting: Jackson State def. South Carolina State, 17-6 (Nov. 16, 1991) 
*South Carolina State defeated Jackson State, 31-10(*2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl)
Last meeting: Jackson State def. South Carolina State, 37-7 (Aug. 26, 2023) 
In Jackson: 0-0 | In Orangeburg: 0-0 | Neutral: 3-3 | Streak: Jackson State, W1  
 
Game Notes

• South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry is the first coach to win a MEAC Championship in school history. Berry has already received numerous Coach of the Year accolades.
• Numerous players were on the team who played against Jackson State in the 2021 Celebration Bowl, however, including linebacker Aaron Smith, offensive lineman Nick Taiste, Cam Johnson and Eric Brown, Jr. just to name a few.
• South Carolina State is ranked in the top 25 at #18 in Stats FCS for the first time since 2013.
• Quarterback Eric Phoenix needs 38-yards to set the school record for Most Yards in Passing in a Season that's currently held by Malcolm Long at (2,507) in 2009. Phoenix has already tied for school record for passing touchdowns at 20 that's held by Long (2009) as well.
• Dyson Roberts holds the record for punting average in a season with 44 punts for an average of 41.98 yards per punt. The record was previously held by Alonzo Braddy with an average of 40.5 yards per punt (1980).
• Sophomore Caden High needs to 104-yards to reach and break the Single Receiving Yards in a season currently held by Oliver (Tre') Young in 2009.

ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
 
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